If you are worried about being laid off, thinking about looking for another opportunity or simply unsure about the future, now is the time to work on your next resume.
While you are still in your current job, begin to gather testimonials about your performance, whether they are a single line in an email from a grateful client or a passing comment made during your annual review. Those testimonials and referrals indicate where you have performed beyond expectations. Write down the circumstances; the information will become an accomplishment on your resume.
Also gather data on the effect your performance has on the company. Did you serve on a company committee? Did the company award you “employee of the month” or honor you for years of service? Did the company’s revenue rise during your tenure? Did you gain x number of new clients, reduce turnover in your department by x%, produce x number of products or redesign a procedure for greater efficiency? It is easy to forget your contributions and hard to remember them when you are looking for a new job. Document them now.
Finally, take out your old resume and look for skills, expertise and connections you have now that you did not have back then. You may have taken courses, learned how to operate new equipment, interacted with different or more departments or taken on more responsibilities. That progress is important to capture.
When new clients come to me, I help them through the process of recalling their accomplishments, their contribution and their personal growth. Call me if you would like help in making your next resume the strongest it can be.